No wonder I've gained weight. Amateur radio offers a veritable smorgasbord of delicious choices. Today, however, there's only one item on our menu: CONTESTING.
I don't know if Ovid was right when he said horses run faster when competing with other horses, but I do think people push harder when competing with other people. And I also believe that in general, the more we compete at something, the more we push at it, the better we get. So you could say that competition is the whetstone of talent, and participation in amateur radio contests can definitely sharpen our operating skills.
There are hundreds of contests every year, and winning is a relative term. Some contesters work non-stop (except for the obvious necessary breaks) for the duration, and rack up a ton of points and prizes. Others may operate briefly, but consider their efforts successful if they make contact with a new country or state.
The following illustrates just how dedicated (and engrossed) an operator can be during a contest:
So bottom line, I guess contesting can become almost addictive, if you let it. Contests definitely encourage operators to make the most of their equipment and to hone their operating skills.
And pssssst! They're also FUN!
No question that competition goads action and often inspires (amplified) excellence.
ReplyDeleteHaving an intense dislike of the terms "winners" and "losers", I've always tried to avoid contests.
ReplyDeleteThen, in a rare moment of lucidity after inebriation, I realized that life is one big contest - - and we are all losers in the end.
(if this makes any sense, I'll be the first one who is astonished.....)
I think someone should have relieved the Archduke of his equipment. If the Nazis marched in today and we needed to take cover or hide, some people would refuse because they're blogging or Facebooking or whatever.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I was always told to bet on the fastest horse, carrying the lightest jocky; but not being a betting man...
ReplyDeleteAw, common Susan, everybody knows horses run fastest when chased by a tribe of wild Indians. Don't you watch Hollywood westerns? Seems like the Arch Duke could have at least informed the world that his country was being invaded while he was at it.
ReplyDeleteWhat an original concept for a post. Truthfully, I have never thought much about contesting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it I necessary to win, but it is always good to get in the game.
ReplyDeleteIt stands to reason there would be a contest in amateur radio...we humans tend to make a contest of pretty much everything.
ReplyDeleteBut what would the contest be for? I don't get it. But still a great post. I learn something new everytime I come over here.
ReplyDeleteHow does the contest work, exactly. It's sounds interesting. Details woman, details pls. :D
ReplyDeleteHealthy competition is always good in my eyes. But boy did that guy get around abit, working all of the continents.
ReplyDeleteShaun
Valleys ShutterBug
Suze- Indeed. Amplified. I love your sense of humor. (Were we separated at birth?)
ReplyDeleteJon- Feeling profound, are we? I suppose one could consider all of life a contest, but I don't buy that we're all losers in the end. Success lies in how we live that life. I don't measure success by material riches, (Good thing!) or by what we get OUT of life, but by what we put INTO it. (See? I can be profound, too!)
Janie- I think pretty much everyone else in the castle headed for the hills, and left the Archbishop doing his own thing. My guess is he was totally oblivious to what was going on around him. (Kinda like me when I'm reading a good book.)
Cro- HA! Sound advice!
Mr. C- Yeah, but alas, there are no more wild tribes around to chase them anymore. And as for Austria, the people around him knew what was going on, but the Archduke was too preoccupied to be paying any attention.
Rebecca- Even within the realm of amateur radio, only a small percentage of us are contesting nuts. (And I'm not one of them.)
Arleen- Yes, exactly!
Delores- Yeah, I suppose we do, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. In some circumstances, it is, but when it's just for the sheer enjoyment of friendly competition, I'm all for it.
Anne- Depends on the contest. Could be to make the most contacts overall; or with the largest number of countries, states, or counties; with the most individual contacts within a specific country, state, or province. Could be competition on one specific mode, or a combination of modes. There's a wide variation of possibilities. Some contests involve plaques and certificates for the winners; others, just bragging rights.
Skippy- HA! You guys are used to my usual lengthy posts, aren't ya? I had a bunch of that info in this post originally, and then took it out in the interests of brevity. Many contests are held the same time each year, say the second weekend in November. For that weekend, there is a starting point and end point, and sometimes, a break in the middle. (Just to make sure no operators starve to death while glued to their radios. HA!) Some contests are run on a multitude of bands, and smart operators know which time of day is optimal for which band. Others concentrate on one band only. (A band is a specific frequency range.) Some contests are for phone only (voice), some are for CW (Morse code), and some are for any or all of a number of digital modes. (which incorporate either the computer of some other component capable of decoding the signal.) We can operate as an individual, a team, or even as a club. Then, there's other kinds of contests, like seeing who can make the most farthest distance contact on the smallest amount of power, who can copy the fastest CW message, and my personal favorite: who can copy the most callsigns correctly out of a pile-up recording in which 100 different call signs are given in Morse code within a five-minute period. (Lots of overlap and static, involved.) So, there are LOTS of possibilities. (Thanks for asking!)
ReplyDeleteShaun- No, he didn't get around all that much... his radio signals did. It's very easy to work all the continents nowadays, but it was considerably more difficult back then.
My father-in-law was a ham radio operator and from what my wife has said, he always loved making a new connection with another operator and getting to add a new entry into his log. It may not really be part of a set contest, but that seems to be a regular bit of ham competition, too -- "how many different people have YOU talked to?"
ReplyDeleteChris- Exactly. The real thrill for most of us is in making those connections, both new and old. Some old-timers have been making daily contacts with the same group of hams for forty years, and even though they've never met face-to-face, they've been an important part of each other's lives through good times and bad.
ReplyDeleteNow that's multi-tasking!
ReplyDeleteI chose that word with some amount of irony. ;)
ReplyDeleteCarrie- Uh-huh. I've known some CW operators who could copy a 50+ wpm signal from the air, while listening to a couple guys standing nearby who were having a conversation.
ReplyDeleteSuze- Yeah, I could tell! That's why I loved it so much.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan .. love these - the Broadcast one .. clearly descriptive and decisive - in your enjoyment .. love the 'rag chew' ..
ReplyDeleteNow the Archduke's competition .. pushing the limits I'd say - lucky chap ..
So interesting to get this back-history to amateur highly trained radio operators!
Cheers Hilary
Hilary- Glad you're enjoying these posts, and thank you so much for taking the time to make a comment. (This challenge is busy, busy, busy, isn't it?) Cheers and beers to you, too. (That just popped into my head ... I once knew a fellow who used that expression all the time.)
ReplyDeleteI laughed for about five minutes after looking at the header on your blog. Yam...that's awesome. Best thing I've seen all day. Happy A-Z blogging.
ReplyDeleteS.L.- Thanks! Glad you liked it. Always happy to make someone laugh. Happy A-Z to you, too. Thanks so much for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteI've never enjoyed contests, and yet I always want to win. You can see how conflicting this can be...
ReplyDeletePearl
My dad used to love amateur radio when he was younger. When he recounts those days, he seems to fill with so much joy. But I don't know that he ever competed in a contest. I'll have to ask him.
ReplyDeletePearl- Ah, yes, I can see how this could be a problem. I've enjoyed doing SOME contesting, but I don't consider myself a true "contester." On the other hand, in other areas of my life, I have a competitive streak a mile wide, and love going head-to-head over a game of scrabble, the pool table, or a card game.
ReplyDeleteSusan- Too bad your father isn't still involved. I know one fellow, now deceased, who was active in amateur radio until the ripe old age of 105. Every day, he was on the radio, and I don't think he ever lost his love for it. Thanks so much for stopping by.
I've always loved competition because it seems I do so much better when competing.
ReplyDeleteI love your theme. Don't know much about it so I can't wait to read more. Thanks for coming to my blog.
ReplyDeleteRubye- I've spent the last 43 years (that's how long I've been married) trying to keep my competitive streak under wraps. But over a Scrabble board, I'm afraid I turn into this crazy-eyed lady with saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. Okay, not really, but as I used to say over the pool table, "Winning isn't everything, but losing sucks." Thanks for stopping by, dear lady.
ReplyDeleteKC- My pleasure visiting your blog, and thanks for returning the favor. I do appreciate it.
This is so cool. It's like a whole new world opening up to me as I honestly had no idea this existed. Love your theme!
ReplyDeleteJulie- Thanks so much for saying that. Makes me glad I chose this theme.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting blog post. I had no idea there were contests for radio buffs. And I just loved the little bit of trivia about Anton von Habsburg. There were a lot of brave men and women who did remarkable things during that war, and every one before and after that.
ReplyDeleteGreat story about the Archduke. It's amazing what an important part radio played especially during wartime! Julie
ReplyDeleteNeat. I had no idea there were radio contests.
ReplyDeleteMaryann- Thank you, dear lady. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteJulie- Wow, you really ARE catching up! (Betcha you're glad these posts aren't as long as my usual ones!)
Mary- The contests go on just about every weekend!
Ovid said a lot of wise things!
ReplyDeleteI particularly like friendly challenges for motivation.
Hektor- Yeah, Ovid was one smart cookie, wasn't he? Agreed. I think friendly challenges lead to greater motivation. Thanks for stopping by, and for signing on as a new follower. Welcome aboard! I'll be visiting your blog asap.
ReplyDelete